It's not too strange if you really think about it. It's been done before* in the regular season, and of course they've been doing it for over a decade in the preseason...

Recently there was news that Stern was predicting a European division of the NBA in the next 20 years, and coming off the summer olympics in London is kind of perfect timing to keep the ball rolling. I mean if the NFL can do it, the NBA has no reason not to, right?

*Edit: was just reading an article, apparently this is the 16th regular season game in a foreign market